


terezi pyrope and the infinite sadness

by badAquatic



Series: Trailerstuck [94]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human/Troll Society (Homestuck), F/F, F/M, Fan Offspring, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 13:58:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10618374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badAquatic/pseuds/badAquatic
Summary: After the blowout between Karkat and Terezi, someone has to step in and resolve the issue. Too bad the only viable person is an exhausted yellowblood with family issues of their own going on.Takes place immediately after "the cost in her blood".





	1. sad week

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! With summer on the way (and final exams on the horizon) the hiatus is over. Thank you for all your support. Also, happy 4/13 I guess? 
> 
> \- Zee

**== >Be Kankri two days later**

You had hesitated about interfering, but the situation is only getting worse. Maybe you are overreacting, but you’d rather not have things devolve further. You use the kitchen phone to make sure Kempie and Astrid don’t overhear.  It’s Saturday morning so the kids are wide awake. Astrid is lying on the floor drawing and Kempie is watching cartoons.

You wait three minutes before the phone is picked up. Children are shouting in the background and Eridan is irritably talking in Old Alternian.

//”Meenah, I _don’t know_ where Dmitry put his headband.”// Sollux grunts, //”He wouldn’t have this issue in the first place if he wasn’t so messy.”//

“It’s me, Sollux.” you say.

//“Kankri? Why are you calling?”// Sollux snorts, //“You can hit me up on Trollichum.”//

You try not to sigh. Sollux’s generation loves to hash out important situations via the internet instead of face to face. It’s a sad but unchangeable fact.

“Would it be possible for you to come over here?” you ask, “Your sister…well, I’d rather not explain over the phone. Maybe you can bring Suxxor over for Kempie to…play.”

You would prefer not to say ‘distract’. You peek out of the kitchen and see Kempie has left the couch. He’s looking into your bedroom, checking on his mother. You admire his dedication but you’re still concerned.

//“Sounds fine. ED needs a break from the yellow menace.”// Sollux says.

Suxxor whines something in the background. You hang up before you can hear more of it. You leave the kitchen, heading back to the bedroom.

Terezi is the same as before. You sigh and shut the door.

A small hand tugs on your pants. You look down and see Kempie looking up at you. He’s so small and chubby and sometimes it hurts to look at him—to realize you were once this tiny and innocent.

You pat your son on the head. “Hey, pal. What’s up?”

“Daddy, is Mommy going to be okay?” Kempie asks.

“She’ll be fine, Kempie. She’s just a little sick. She needs time to recover.”

Kempie looks down and bites his lip. There’s something on his mind but he doesn’t want to say it.

You kneel so you’re an eye level with your son. “What’s wrong?”

Kempie looks away. “Is…is it true Mommy made someone mad and that’s why she’s like this?”

The words sting with how accurate they are, but you try not to show it. Still, you’re surprised by how quickly word spreads in this neighborhood. “Where did you hear that?”

Kempie shrugs awkwardly.

You sigh. You promised you would be as honest as possible with your son, even when it was difficult. You…had just hoped that you wouldn’t have to explain it so quickly.

“It’s true. Mommy made her…friend…angry so she’s upset about the things she did.” you say, “But she’s not going to stay this way. She’ll be fine. It just takes time.”

Now you must know how Cronus felt when he explained to Karkat why you were hung-over or having a really bad mood swing. The feeling makes your stomach squirm. It’s not quite nausea; just the ghost of discomfort at your role being flipped.

You just hope that Terezi does recover.

“What if I make you mad?” Kempie asks, “Will you be like this?”

“Maybe.” You admit because you have no idea what Kempie’s teenaged years will bring, “but that’s not something to be worried about.”

Kempie sniffles. “I don’t want you to be mad at me though. I don’t want you to be sad like that.”

“Hey, none of that now.” You pick up Kempie and hug him. “We can’t be happy all the time. It’s just what happens. Don’t worry about it, okay?”

Kempie nods but looks at you with a pout. “Okay…”

You put him down on the ground. “Suxxor’s coming over. You should think of something you can do.”

Kempie shrugs, looking neutral about the prospect of spending time with the yellowblood. Aside from Dmitry and Astrid, Kempie doesn’t spend time with the other children around. He returns to the couch and his cartoons. You go to the area behind the couch, where Astrid is sitting in the corner and quietly scribbling on reams of paper.

“How are you doing?” you ask.

Astrid sniffles and rubs her eye. Summertime is wreaking havoc on her allergies as her eyes are watery and reddened from pollen.  She wipes her nose on her sleeve but remains focused on her drawing. The paper is decorated with colorful blobby shapes, circular creatures.

“What are you drawing?” you ask.

 “Caribou.” Astrid says. “Elk. And uh...” She taps a blob in the distance. “Yeti.”

 

 

 

“I don’t remember yeti being in the Arctic.” You chuckle.

“It _could_ be.” Astrid looks up at you. “We should go there.”

You smile. “We’ll see. Are you excited to spend your day with Daddy?”

Astrid frowns. “No. There’s too many people.”

“They’re his family and yours.” You explain, “You want a little help?”

Astrid grunts but you urge her to move along. She has some difficulty getting dressed. While Kempie can get himself into clothes and has some issue with shoelaces and zippers, Astrid has difficulty with all things textile related. You have no issue helping her though. You brush her hair, pack her bag of snacks, and make sure the labels are correct.

“Make sure to tell Daddy when you’re tired, okay? Just don’t fall asleep anywhere.” You warn. The last time she went out with Kurloz, the purpleblood thought he lost the girl only to find her curled up in his closet asleep.

Astrid sticks out her tongue in distaste.

“I know it’s hard, but we don’t want him to worry, okay? Just do your best.” You say.

Astrid looks at the ground, once again silent. You know it’s her way, but sometimes you wish you could understand what’s going through her head better. You only have an inkling based on instincts and a guessing game. Even Kurloz isn’t sure about the girl.

“There has to be another highblood that behaves the same way Astrid does.” You said.

Kurloz wouldn’t answer. You think Astrid’s mentality gets under his skin and fills him with dread. As for the reason why, he won’t explain.

Still, he comes by to pick up his daughter. Astrid leaves with him, although she sends you a forlorn glance before following her father. It may be years before she adjusts to having him around.

Sollux arrives with Suxxor ten minutes later. Suxxor walks in, kicks off his shoes, and climbs onto the couch as if he’s home. Kempie looks uneasy in the presence of the other kit, but you don’t have to worry about them. Or at least you _hope_ you don’t.

“Alright, let’s see the damage.” Sollux says. His voice is gruff, partly because he never liked you and because this entire situation is especially irritating to him.

“It’s not _that_ bad.” You say, walking to the bedroom, “I just want a little help.”

“Uh huh.”

You take a slow breath and try to maintain your civility. You asked Sollux to come here. How you two feel about each other is irrelevant when Terezi needs you.

You lead him into the bedroom door. Sollux enters and you follow, shutting the door behind you.

Sollux looks at the mess in the corner of the room—a pile of old blankets that you kept in storage during the winter and some cosplays stuff that you were surprised Terezi still had. In the middle of the pile is Terezi and a bottle of soda. She’s currently asleep and half buried in the pillows and blankets she hoarded from gods know where.

“Oh gods.” Sollux mutters, “She’s sadpiling already?”

“Is _that_ what we’re calling it?” you ask.

“It’s what Strider calls it.” Sollux bends down next to his sister, tugging away a bottle of Faygo Redpop. He unearths two more sixteen liter bottles from the pile. He sniffs the empty sugary bottles. “Ugh, what is this stuff? Is she mixing it with booze?”

“No, it’s just straight up sugar and food coloring.” You start picking up bottles, putting them into a bag for recycling. Kempie will be happy to have a little allowance this week. “She’s been binging on it for the past couple of days.”

Sollux snaps his fingers in front of his sister’s face. “Are you sure she’s not drunk?”

“I’m sure.” You say, “She’s been doing this too lately: sleeping a lot and really deep. I have trouble waking her up in the morning. It’s been like this for a couple of months actually.”

“Really.” Sollux exhales and rubs his chin. “Shit, that is weird.” He looks at you. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“I…” you exhale, “I wanted to see if I could handle it on my own. I know you don’t like me and I don’t really blame you for not liking me. I’m a weird, older troll and your sister just moved in with me out of the blue. I’m sure there’s a lot of…uncomfortable…similarities between myself and Mituna before the burnout. I wanted to…” You sigh, “I guess I wanted to prove that I could take care of your sister without having to lean on you. Plus, I know how busy you are…”

“I’m never too busy for my sister.” Sollux stands and looks at Terezi. “She’s so used to taking care of everyone else that there’s no one else to get her to just…” He looks at you. “What was this even about?”

“What do you think?” you sigh, “DynamiCHEM. It’s always about DynamiCHEM nowadays. She says her job’s just been giving her busywork but I think there’s more to it. Not that she’s told me.”

Sollux folds his arms. “And you didn’t press her on it?”

You look at him. “Would you?”

Sollux looks away. He knows better than you do that Terezi never admits to anything unless she feels completely comfortable, or she holds all the cards. In that respect, she’s very much like Vriska or any of the ceruleans.

“You have any coffee?” Sollux sighs.

You nod and go to the kitchen. There’s nothing you can do for Terezi right now while she’s in the middle of a sugar crash and sleeping binge. You brew coffee for Sollux and yourself and sit on the back porch. With the children around, it’s one of the few remaining places you can have a private conversation.

Not that you have one right away. Sollux sips his coffee. You sip yours. A small flock of brown pelicans fly overhead, heading toward the levees just as tourist traffic moves in that direction, littering as they go.

You’re the first to force small talk. “I thought you didn’t like coffee?”

“I don’t,” Sollux says, “but it helps when you have to stay up late.”

“True.” You say, “So. How is…I know this is awkward but I have to ask about my son’s wellbeing too.”

“You’re not the only one in shit creek with an equally shitty paddle.” Sollux pauses and shakes his head. “I’m spending too much time with KK.”

You smile. If Karkat is starting to rub off on Sollux, that must mean things are going well for them. Even when they were kits they were close in a way that went beyond friendship, but you never thought they would go pale.

“He’s upset,” Sollux continues, “but…not as upset as I thought he’d be. I think he’s more confused and hurt.”

“He’s not the only confused one,” you sigh, “Sometimes I feel Terezi and Vriska reside in their own little world and they just shut other people out. I think things like this wouldn’t happen if they’d just stabilize for a pale and ashen quadrant to stop them from being so damn stupid.”

“More like Terezi is too clueless to know what’s going on.” Sollux sighs, “Did you know they went on a date and Terezi didn’t even realize it? She’s just so… _ugh_.” He rubs his temple. “I know we can’t leave her like this but part of me thinks she brought this on herself and should deal with the consequences.”

“She should,” you say, “but within reason and that can’t be done when she’s in this state. That and…well, there’s Kempie to consider.”

Sollux doesn’t answer. He goes back inside and you follow. The yellowblood goes into the bedroom to deal with his sister, leaving you outside. Right now, you have to think of what you’re going to do until he leaves. You just hope you did the right thing by calling on his help for the situation.


	2. my sister's problems

**== >Kankri: Be Sollux dealing with your older sister**

Terezi is still in a sugar induced stupor. She’s rolled onto her stomach, buried in her pile of old clothes and misery. You step over the sticky spots of dried soda and yank away a layer of blankets.

“Terezi.” You say. Your response is a snore. “Terezi! Wake the hell up!”

Terezi snorts and sits up. Her eyes blink in a rapid, uneven pattern that slightly turns your stomach. She wipes red-tainted drool from the corner of her mouth as she gets her bearings.

“I’m awake!” she gasps, “I’m awake and…” She sniffs the air, “Sollux? What are you doing here? Where’s…” Then she winces and holds her stomach, “I feel like I ate a pound of sugar…”

“You basically did.” You grunt, “You went on a sadness-related Faygo binge.”

“Really?” Terezi swallows, “I don’t…remember any of that.”

You look at your sister’s miserable state. You’ve never seen her so disheveled and confused and all from a sugar crash. She’s not even wearing a shirt. Just unwashed boxers and a cape that’s a size too small for her.

“How did this even happen?” you ask.

Terezi sifts through the pile and pulls out a scalemate. You’ve never seen it before, so it must be new. She hugs it to her chest. “I don’t really…drink soda that much.”

“Not that.” You pull up a chair so you don’t have to sit in the disgusting aura of sweat and sugar that makes up her sad pile. “This whole mess. You used to be the person who had their shit altogether. What happened to change that?”

“I don’t know. A lot of things. Maybe…everything? Fuck.” Terezi wraps the velvet cape around her. “Everybody always _thinks_ I have it together, Sollux…but I don’t know what in the fuck I’m doing. Everyone just assumes I’m doing fine…but I’m not. I just keep fucking it.” She swallows. “Except this time, people realized it. Even though I got the proof, does it even matter?”

You’re not in the mood to deal with your sister’s self pity.

“You’ve wanted to take down DynamiCHEM after all this time and now you’re just chickening out?” you ask, “How did Vriska even get involved in this?”

“We…were working together. Like old times.” Terezi lies down with tears in her eyes. “I didn’t want her to go. Why didn’t I just tell her? I hate her so much…now, she might never know.”

“Terezi, Vriska’s not dead. She’s just overseas.” You sigh, “In fact, she’s the _only_ one not pissed at you.”  You lean against the wall. “Just start from the beginning. How did this…mess…get started?”

Terezi doesn’t need much prompting to get her to spill the beans. She’s been building up these feelings for a while now and she almost looks…relieved to have it off her chest. She starts with uncovering the information BF&W were keeping concealed from her, backdoor deals with DynamiCHEM, and Vriska’s sugar mama being involved. You have trouble following her and Vriska’s logic but Terezi keeps on talking…leading up to going to the police station and the dissolution of her pale quadrant.

At the end of her story, Terezi reaches for a Faygo still hidden in her sad pile but you snatch it away. You need her clearheaded and not weeping over the mess she’s made in a sugar induced haze.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone you almost got _shot_ Terezi?” you demand, “Also, why didn’t Vriska tell you about the _fucking lunatic_ that was stalking her?”

“Technically, she did.” Recounting her misadventures has caused Terezi to rebury herself in the sadness pile under a mountain of sheets of blankets. “They followed us before. I just never got a good sniff of them because they were so far away…but now I understand why she was afraid.”

Leave it to Vriska to never warn her friends about the stupidity she gets tangled up in.

“She could have a least warned you about this nut job skulking around,” you say, “or told you that they had the gun. Or _you_ should have told someone you had a gun pointed at you! Like _me,_ Terezi!”

Terezi doesn’t answer. She’s nearly invisible in the blanket mound. Perhaps she doesn’t know what to do or maybe she’s still thinking about what happened.

“Okay.” Sollux sighs, “Let’s just take a minute to think about--”

“What does _Karkat_ think?”

You exhale sharply but Terezi waits. She slowly unfurls from the blanks and her unseeing eyes demand an answer.

“Angry, obviously,” you say, “but he’s more _hurt_ than anything. Karkat and you are…not made for each other. Or maybe you were okay moirails, but you both changed and now it’s not working out. You…have to let him _go_.”

A single tear runs from Terezi’s working duct.  

“But I…just…” Terezi stops and her eyes widen slightly. You don’t know what she could be smelling or hearing, but it has some impact. Then she bows her head and croaks in a low voice, “Okay.”  

It’s the best for everyone but you still feel shitty. It’s a terrible feeling to break up a quadrant but it has to be done, for both Terezi and Karkat’s benefit.

You sit next to your sister and put your arm around her. She doesn’t say anything. She wipes her eye and leans against you, too exhausted for words. You sit there for a half hour before you start the slow process of cleaning up the room. You help discard the soda bottles, rearrange the other contents of the sadness pile, and clean up the stains. You’re left alone in the house as Kankri took Kempie out and Astrid is off with her father doing who knows what.

“Suxxor and Dmitry are getting on my last fucking nerve.” you say, “Suxxor flushed Dmitry’s magazine so Dmitry threw Suxxor’s clothes in a mud puddle…it’s a nightmare.”

“Why are they fighting so much? They got along for a while.” Terezi says.

“Eridan think it’s the bedroom. They don’t have their own space and sharing a bed can’t be helping...”

You hate that you can’t afford to give your sons their own individual beds but the cost is simply too high. Every time you try saving up for something, another bill hits you across the face or there’s yet another supply you have to purchase for school.

“I just feel bad for Dmitry.” you say, “He’s not mine but he can’t have a _real_ relationship with Fef. Even when he’s older, there will always be some danger of her trying to hurt him. I bet that’s why he clings to me.”  

Terezi tilts her head. “Have you ever considered that you’re too sympathetic to Dmitry and spending a lot of time with him rather than Suxxor?”

Sollux stares at you. “Are you kidding me? Suxxor _hates_ spending time with me. Every time he does, he turns into a horrible little gremlin. Did I tell you what he did with the salt and sugar?

“Yeah, but that gives him what he wants: attention.” Terezi smirks, “Plus, we know where he gets his _real_ brattiness from.”  

“I was not a brat.” You insist.

It takes a full minute to think about all those times you were a kid. You think of all the times you tried to get your Mom’s attention and she wouldn’t even look at you because she had just come off of a ten hour shift.

“Shit.” You mutter, “I fucked up.”

Terezi pats you on the shoulder. “It’s not the end of the world, Sollux. You just need one on one time with your son.”

You roll your eyes. “I’d take him to Midway instead of letting him go on the disaster that’s happening in a week.”

“Disaster?” Terezi smirks. “Something Meenah planned?”

You sit on the bed. “You know how Eridan and Feferi have been arguing about Momeju since forever because neither of them agree on how the other wants to raise her? Well, Meenah’s _brilliant_ solution is for the family to go to this special camp in…South New Jack. Apparently they have a counseling service for ‘extended families’.”

You try not to shudder at the idea of being stuck in South New Jack, also known as the middle of fucking nowhere because no one with two brain cells would willingly live there. Not only is the internet connection terrible but you’re miles away from true civilization.

“What argument warranted this extreme solution?” Terezi asks.

You roll your eyes. “I wasn’t there but Kanaya had to mediate between Feferi and Eridan because they were close to attacking each other. Momeju may have been crying but I think Meenah was exaggerating. Point is that she wants the tension between them resolved.”

Terezi raises an eyebrow. “That’s _never_ going to happen. For one thing, the argument between Feferi and Eridan has no true solution.”

“Try telling that to Meenah ‘Queen of Great Ideas’ Peixes!” you grunt, “I swear to gods, every idea that enters her fishy brain must seem great at the time but then turns to shit in the face of reality. You know how long Karkat and her have been planning to sign up for the destruction derby? What is it, like two years now?” You groan. “It’s not going to be any better because Feferi wants Gamzee to come and once Suxxor heard Torken was going, he demanded to go. So now _I_ have to go and watch that little idiot.”

Terezi stares at you and you feel embarrassed. You shouldn’t be venting like this to her. You’re not a little kid anymore. You’d apologize if you weren’t so tired of dealing with your family’s constant flow of bullshit. 

“I guess it’s hard to have an attention span when you’re nigh immortal.” Terezi offers, “Try to think of it as a vacation.”

“An unwanted family vacation. Great.” You sigh, “At least it’ll get Suxxor away from the TV and Dmitry out the house.”

Terezi nods. The two of you lull into a silence, debating of what should be said next.

Terezi breaks it when she whisper, “I have to tell him…”

“I have to tell him.” Terezi whispers.

“Wait.” You say, not even having to ask who she’s talking about. “Things are still raw for him. He needs time to…stop being angry. Then you should do it.”

Terezi smiles bitterly. This is going to hurt no matter when and how she does it.

“Sollux…” she whispers, “…take care of him, okay?”

You nod. “As much as I can.”

With the bedroom clean, you don’t have a reason to stay in the trailer. You collect Suxxor (who is trying to persuade Kempie into pranking someone) and leave the trailer.

“Hey, Suxxor,” you say.

“I didn’t do anything to the sugar! Really!” Suxxor says.

You frown but you’ll deal with that issue when you come to it.  “Despite that,” you sigh, “you’re…well, you know I love you right?”

Suxxor stares at you and then the tips of his ears go yellow. The flustered kit walks away from you as his face becomes more flushed.

“Ugh! Pops!” Suxxor groans, “Why would you say that? That’s so…weird!”

You can’t think of a more Captor reaction to “I love you”. You walk over to him and tousle his hair.

“Just making sure you know.” you say.

Suxxor grumbles but doesn’t swat the hand away. He leans against you and hugs you close. You guess that’s as much an admission of love as he’s willing to do for this moment. You walk with your son, deciding its going to be pizza for dinner. You’re sure Eridan will be glad not to cook.


	3. the brother you deserve

**== >Sollux: Be Eridan a few minutes ago **

“You know what? Fuck ‘em.”

Karkat laughs so hard he almost chokes on his iced tea.

The mutantblood and you are sitting on the back porch, watching the kids play in the backyard. Nessie is playing with her creepy clown doll in her part of the yard in imagination land. Momeju and Dmitry are comparing their sizable collections of Monster High dolls and criticizing the other’s respective fashion choices. You keep a close eye on the seatroll pair because such criticisms usually end in a fistfight.

You’re just glad you got a reaction out of Karkat that wasn’t a morose grunt.

 “Seriously, Kar. Fuck ‘em _both_.” you continue, “You went out of your way to be understanding and they just fucked you over. What kind of troll _does_ that?”

“I really don’t know.” Karkat admits. “I always thought I had an understanding with Vriska and Terezi. Looking back, I think I was just trying to be optimistic about how they can be. Still, I wish it hadn’t come to such a…messy result. Or at least not as loud.” He sighs the last part, still unhappy with his loud outburst.

You fold your arm. “I think it’s about time you stood up to those two bitches.”

Karkat scowls. “Don’t call them that.” You open your mouth but Karkat glares at you, “I know you’re angry but they’re still the mothers to my kids. They’re still _family_ to me even though I’m pissed at them.”

You think they deserve _a lot more_ than name calling but you can’t overstep Karkat’s boundaries; that’s something _they_ would do (or rather, have done).

“ _Please_ tell me you’re breaking up with her.” you say.

Karkat nods. “Yeah…I have to. It’s for the best but it still hurts and I hate that it hurts. I want a moirail who listens to me and doesn’t treat my son like a chess piece.”

“Karkat.” You insist, “I know you’re breaking up with Terezi. What about _Vriska_?”

 “I…don’t know yet.” Karkat admits after a minute of thought. “We’re not even together. The only reason we’re still involved in each other’s life is because of Arthat.”

“Kar, you can’t think Vriska’s a good mother after this mess.” You argue, “Not only does she have _a fucking_ _bug_ as Arthat’s legal guardian but she doesn’t see him as a person. He’s just a… _thing_ to dress up nice and be part of her schemes. Like a pet or a toy.”

Karkat sighs, looking away. “Trolls used to have lusus--”

“Kar, wake the fuck up!” you snap, “Trolls used to have lusii _thousands of years ago_ on a _different planet_. Our grandparents used lusii and you saw how _great_ they turned out. Do you want Arthat to end up like _them_?”

Karkat is still scowling but his eyes widen slightly. Then he exhales and rubs his face.

“Okay. Fine. You…have a point.” Karkat sighs, “But I don’t know if I’m the better option for full custody. The trailer is crowded and Arthat would have to uproot himself to move here. And Vriska…” He looks down, “I don’t like the way she’s raised him but she _does_ love him. I’d hate to deprive Arthat of his mother’s love.”

Karkat’s own words come out slow and hesitating, unconvinced by what he’s saying.

“As if Vriska isn’t depriving your son already?” you ask. Karkat starts but you insist, “Look me in the eye and tell me Vriska’s raising an emotionally stable kid!”

“He’s only a year old, Eridan!” Karkat snaps, “Kits change and Vriska isn’t abusing him like your grandfather was with you.”

The mutantblood looks at your face and his eyes are full of concern. He touches your shoulder and although you don’t flinch, you can’t look him in the face.

“Shit. Eridan, I’m sorry…” Karkat stammers, “I shouldn’t have said that. It was way out of line--”

“No. It’s fine. It’s…true.” you say, “That’s why I want to make sure Arthat is alright. I don’t want my nephew to be like us. I’m sure you don’t want that for him either.”

Karkat doesn’t have a quick answer because he knows you’re right. He’s not the only one who stays awake at night, thinking of what could have been had certain mistakes not been made.

“I have to think about this.” Karkat sighs, “At least I don’t have to worry about Arthat. He’s been scared straight since I yelled at him. Not a rebellious word out of him. I was even able to leave him at home without worrying.”

You smirk. “See what happens when you use a little discipline?”

“I was using discipline before!” Karkat huffs.

“ _Barely_.” You hear a shout from across the yard and turn your head. “Momeju! Let go of Dmitry’s horns!”

The violetblood girl has a death grip on Dmitry’s horns. Dmitry is hissing and kicking but unable to get out of his twin sister’s grasp. You have no idea _how_ Momeju got so strong but you blame Feferi’s weird genes for this.

“No! He called Lavenia Aqua’s dress tacky!” Momeju growls.

“Let gooooo!” Dmitry wails.

“Momeju! I’m giving you to the count of three!” you yell, “One! Two! Thr--”

Momeju rolls her eyes and flings Dmitry to the ground. She stomps off and sits in the corner of the yard, pouting. Before you can go ask if Dmitry’s alright, the boy raises himself off the ground.

The fuchsiablood digs his claw into the ground and flings a clump of dirt at Momeju. The dirt hits Momeju’s dress, leaving a brown smear. Momeju—never one to let any slight go unavenged—grabs dirt clumps of her own and starts flinging. Nessie decides to join in what she interprets a mud fight and starts throwing dirt as well. This leads to Karkat and you breaking up a three way mud war at the sacrifice of your clothes and hair.

An hour later, Karkat is wiping dirt off Nessie’s face while you lecture Momeju and Dmitry about fighting. Dmitry tearfully begs for forgiveness but Momeju has a stubborn pout. Like Meenah, you’re sure its in one webbed ear and out the other.

From then on its indoor play for the kids. You turn the TV to the educational channel and keep the remote so the kids can’t change it. You go to your bedroom with Karkat so you can keep the conversation adult while checking in on the kids. In the bedroom, Karkat and you wipe off dirt and try to comb soil particles out of your hair.

“Hey, where are Latula and Mituna? Usually I hear Mituna playing a ridiculously violent videogame.” Karkat asks.

“Latula’s at the doctor so Mituna wanted to go with her.” You say, “I guess any day they don’t have to babysit, they use to the fullest.”

“Jade and Dave are the same way. Any day they don’t have to deal with Nessie is a blessing. She’s a sweet kid but she’s tiring and _clingy_.” Karkat says, “I’ll be glad when she starts following Khanie around instead of me all the time.”

“I’m not looking forward to the future.” you sigh, “Not with how much of a spoiled brat Momeju’s become.”

“Speaking of Momeju, how are things with Feferi?” Karkat asks, “Meenah said you guys were having some issues--”

“ _Some_ issues? Give me a fucking break!” Eridan groans, “Feferi is literally the worst person I have to deal with and that includes the stoners at 7-11 that keep asking if the nacho cheese is fresh! Seriously, Kar, why was I obsessed with that girl? She’s literally the worst.”

Karkat frowns. “I don’t think she’s--”

“ _The worst_!” you growl, “Meenah gave me crap about being a bad influence on Momeju but Feferi lets Momeju do _whatever_ she wants! Then when Momeju acts like a brat, its suddenly _my_ fault? Hell no! Suxxor and Dmitry don’t have _half_ the attitude Momeju does.” You sigh. “I don’t know _how_ Kan puts up with their nonsense. Now Meenah wants us to go on this stupid family ‘excursion’ to deal with our issues and I fucking _hate_ camping.”

Karkat smirks. “Have you even _been_ camping?”

“ _Yes_ , actually.” You grunt, “Grandpa took me camping all the time and not that prissy camping that those spoiled brats in East New Jack do. The hardcore kind of camping. When it was _raining._ And we had to hunt our own food. You know he made me kill and skin a rabbit? I was so freaking out and it was still fucking _alive,_ Kar.”

You’ll never forget the wretched noises that animal made when it was caught in the snare. You’re long past having nightmares about it, but having to relieve it just turns your spine into jelly.

“I doubt they’re going to make you kill your own food.” Karkat says, gently.

You lean against your brother. “I know, but I still hate the woods. This isn’t going to work anyways. Fef and I have too much history between us to ever get along--”

“ _Eridan_.” Karkat says, “Feferi isn’t a monster. You’re just frustrated with each other right now and that’s making it worse than it seems.”

That takes the wind out of your miserable sails and you slump with a grunt.

“You guys were friends before and you can be friends again,” Karkat continues, “but _not_ if you go into this with a negative outlook. If you do, nothing is going to be accomplished. Do it for your son and daughter. Hell, try to think of this as a family vacation. Relax and take some cute pics of the kids.”

That would be a good idea. Suxxor hates having pictures taken of him and Dmitry hogs every shot he’s in. All you have of Momeju are the glamour shots Meenah and Feferi share with you when they go to Walmart. 

“Fine. I’ll try to be…positive.” You grunt, “What are you going to do while Sollux and I are in hell?”

“Watch One Piece with Nessie.” Karkat chuckles, “Its amazing how much she likes that crazy show and I can take a nap during it.”

You’re not sure how you feel about Karkat being so attached to the mutant toddler, but you guess he needs _something_ to act fatherly towards. Arthat is about as cuddly as a pile of steel wool and Khanie is…well, legally not his child.

Karkat leaves with Nessie at six. The kids are exhausted from all the activity so you put on educational television and have a nap. Public television may as well be a jar of Quaaludes to these kids. You use the time to study for your nurse’s test, learning about medications and how to handle them.

Sollux doesn’t come home until late in the afternoon, bearing the gift of pizza. You’re thankful that you don’t have to cook dinner. Once Sollux is home, the kids constantly follow and surround him. You have no idea why Sollux is so popular, but you chalk it up to yellowblood charisma. Even Suxxor pouts and grumbles when Sollux doesn’t pay him enough attention.

After pizza and putting on a movie for the kids, Meenah comes to pick up Momeju. You can see a lecture written on Meenah’s face about letting Momeju eat something so greasy, but it doesn’t come. Maybe the exhaustion on your face is obvious.

Relieved, you take a brief nap before getting up at nine. You change into your 7-11 uniform, kiss your boys goodbye (which they hate but is mandatory), and head off to Damara’s trailer.

Damara’s trailer has gotten quieter since Aradia left, but that was for the best. Damara and Aradia are too different to live together. However, Aradia was the one who kept the trailer from looking abandoned. Without the younger rustblood, the trailer has seen better days. The weeds are almost at your knees and kudzu is wrapping around the side of the trailer, threatening to pry the roof open. You may have to ask Cronus to help her with upkeep.

You ring the doorbell and Damara is at the entrance right away. The older rustblood has a thin tunic wrapped around her waist and her arms and chest are splattered with dark brown splotches.

“Please tell me that’s not what I think it is.” you say in Old Alternian.

“It’s paint. Not blood.” Damara says, letting you into the trailer.

Considering how the base ingredient for traditional Alternian paint is blood, you’re not sure if you’re relieved. You enter the trailer and see Damara has continued in her occult decoration. The living room has gone full blown Alternian traditionalist: statues of three-headed demon goddesses, blood-ink wash scroll paintings on the wall, and scrolls of gods both famous and infamous performing their dark and miraculous deeds.

You sit on the couch and Damara pours tear for the both of you. You always tell her that she doesn’t have to make it, but the rustblood has always lived by the motto of doing what she wants. You sip strong tea and eat rice crackers next to each other.

 “Why do you still visit me, Eridan? Out of habit or pity?” Damara asks, “We aren’t moirails and you are not a worshipper anymore.”

You shrug. “Even if we’re not pale, there’s no rule saying we can’t be friends. I mean… _I_ consider you a friend.”

Damara’s nose scrunches up, like an animal deciphering the origin of a peculiar odor. You expected her to laugh off the word but she looks away. Her cheeks darken.

“You make poor choices in friends, or maybe you don’t have enough to begin with...” she mumbles.

“You’re not ad terrible a person as you _think_ you are.” you argue, “Dam, you need to get out. Socialize! Do art! Go on a date!” The rustblood laughs at the notion but you’re not giving up easily. “You could at least talk to Mituna.”

Damara frowns and gives you an incredulous look—like you’ve just proposed for her to try flying with the aid of cardboard and wishes. “Talk? To…Mituna?”  she asks, slowly.

“I know everybody thinks he’s a brain damaged little kid, but he’s pretty cool to hang out with…once you get used to him.” you say, “I’m sure Latula and him want to hang out with other adults sometimes.”

Damara debates the idea but she has an anxious look. Eventually she relents with, “Mituna and I…were never close. He was afraid of our mother, and by extension, he was afraid of me. Not that he didn’t have good reason to be.”

Damara smiles bitterly and you’re not sure if she blames her mother for her father’s death or believe in her (very unlikely) innocence. Dwelling on the fate of the Psionic only reminds you of what happened to your grandfather (father) afterward and the domino effect of misery it had on everyone’s fate.

“Do you ever think…” You can’t believe you’re saying this but the thought has been bothering you for some time now. “…do you ever think our parent’s generation is cursed? I know Meenah says it and she’s not religious but when I think about it…it makes a lot of sense. The way they all died was just so--”

“Ironic?” suggests Damara, “Maybe, but why think of this now? Only three of that generation survives. The rest is dust and myth.”  

“Its not the irony that bothers me. I feel like we’re missing something. Like, the bigger picture.” you admit, “It just bothers me that they were all so... _young..._ and what’s weird is that they had the same symptoms. I read in my nurse testing book that different hemotypes actually have different illness symptoms.”

Damara tilts her head.

“Really now…?” she asks, in a near-whisper.

You nod. “I read that it can take _years_ for colder hemotypes to display illnesses due to a slow metabolism. A highblood could literally have a cold for ten years and not notice it. For the OG trolls, they all started dying around the same time had symptoms displayed at the same time: weakness, hair whitening, unusual growths, internal bleeding, COPD, organ failure…death.” You swallow, “In order for that to happen, it has to be a serious illness affecting _all_ of them at the same time. And yet Petros is still alive _and_ young. How could that be possible? And…what if it’s genetic? What if what killed the OG trolls will kill _us?_ ”

Damara looks lost in thought, mulling over your words. Then she touches your face.

“You are too concerned with death.” she says, “You have three beautiful children. You should be concerned with them, not past shadows.”

Its not a satisfying answer, but it’s the answer you need to hear. You’re not a geneticist or any kind of scientist. All the problem can do is gnaw at you.

Moments like this make you wish you were still pale for Damara. Hell, you wish you could have grown up with Damara as your sister. Maybe things would have turned out less shitty if that had happened.

“Way to be super cheesy, sis.” You chuckle.

Damara playfully shoves you. “Get out you brat!”

You leave the trailer with your spirits picked up. You jog to 7-11, relieving Delwin of his shift. You put your signature on the sign in sheet, nod to your boss (who seems to be eternally sitting in the backroom monitoring the security cameras), and go about your daily tasks at the monitor. You clean off the counter, sweep up the floor, restock the doughnuts, and then stand behind the counter. You always alternate between standing and sitting to prevent blood clots.

You’ve adapted to the job faster than you thought possible. At first you found the fluorescents irritating and the smell of burnt hotdogs and artificial cheese felt like glass on the inside of your nose. Now they’re familiar. Still disgusting but familiar.

Aside from the potheads wandering in to get their fix, Rose also comes in. She always drives her mother’s car and always hides her exhaustion behind a smile. She always buys a snack and a drink. Tonight its milk and chocolate chip cookies.

“Is the milk for the baby or you?” you ask.

“Me. He’s just on breast milk and formula right now.” Rose says, “We’re going to try solids this week and see how it goes.”

“Gods, human babies are complicated.” You just dumped kit kibble in front of Suxxor and he gobbled it down. The only thing he turned his nose up at were vegetables, which continued after he molted. “You look more tired than usual. Long day at the diner?”

Rose rolls her eyes. “I _wish_. The diner’s been quiet lately. I’m only exhausted because I spent hours rat-proofing Mom’s trailer. It’s like the Secret of NIMH over there.”

“You should ask Nepeta. She helped us with our pest control problem.” You shudder as you remember the savagery with how Nepeta waged war with your trailer’s rodents.

Rose smiles. “That’s a good idea. Buff single moms can do practically _anything_.”

You can’t argue with that. You never hung out with Rose during school but the world of adulthood has led to your social circle extending into weird places. You can talk with anyone you want without cliques or class schedules getting in your way. Now that you’re talking with Rose, you wonder why you never hung out in the first place.

“Seriously though: Casey?” you snicker, “You couldn’t think of a better name?”

“ _I_ think the name Casey Jonathan Lalonde rolls off the tongue.” Rose insists.

“ _I_ think he sounds like a Harry Potter self-insert who is best friends with all the cool characters and gets to date Draco.” You snort.  

Rose smiles. “Draco wishes he could be cool enough to hang out with my adorable son. Jane says he looks just like her father.”

“Was her father a huge nerd like John?”

“No. According to her he was an energetic man that enjoyed boxing, baking, and circuses. Time will tell if Casey has similar interests.”

You still don’t understand how Casey and Nessie could be human children and yet be so different. Casey may as well be a sentient sack of potatoes for as much as he does, while Nessie is rambunctious and constantly trying to talk.

After her purchases, Rose returns home. You continue monitoring the store and reading medicinal protocols in your nurse training book. All you need are a few more classes and you’ll be set to work in a slightly less miserable environment.


	4. sad week, part two

**== >Eridan: Be Karkat during the beginning of the week**

In the past, you would have immediately gone numb from the shock of this situation. Now, you can’t afford to be numb. You have too much to do and your son is relying on you. He was a kid caught up in adult bullshit and now you have to handle it. You’re going to make sure he never has to deal with this kind of shit ever again.

You leave the Captor trailer at six because Nessie gets cranky when she’s exhausted. You carry her home and she falls asleep on your shoulder. You hand her off to Jade when you get home and head to bed because you’re also exhausted.  

You wake up late the next day and do the usual morning routine. Nessie is already up and begging Jade to take her to the park and Dave is trying to get some work done. Khanie is in the backyard raising hell. Everyone is around…but Arthat is still in his room.

You knock on the shut door and when there’s no response, you slowly open it.

Arthat is sitting on his bed, attention consumed by _The Count of Monte Cristo._ Next to him on the bed is a small stack of other library books. When you enter the room Arthat glances at you from over the edge of his book and then returns to his reading.

“How you doing?” you ask.

Arthat keeps his eyes on his book. “Bien.”

You sit on the bed, looking at your son. Arthat doesn’t look at you, keeping a tight grip on his book. “Listen, I uh…” You stumble in your words. Arthat doesn’t say anything and you’re not even sure if he’s paying attention to you. You reach over and tap the book. “Arthat?”

Arthat shirks away, pressing the book against his chest. “Je didn’t do anything! All je did was say ‘oui’! Je didn’t…je didn’t _know_ that he would have a _gun_!”

Your stomach feels like it can drop out your body at hearing that word.

“What?” you ask.

Arthat looks away.

“Arthat, what gun?” you press.

Arthat doesn’t meet your eyes. For the first time, he’s not spitting hateful words back in your face. With his knowledge and vocabulary, its easy to think of Arthat as an adult in a child’s body. Now he reminds you of Nessie when she’s frightened by thunder and just wants to hide in your sweater.

Has Vriska ever hugged him, or comforted him in any way? You wonder if _any_ adult has ever tenderly held Arthat—something that not even his beloved lusus can do.

Gods, how could you be so stupid?

You touch Arthat’s shoulder and he jolts. His grey eyes are full of fear and he immediately looks away. You pull your son close, wrapping your arms around him. His heart is beating fast. He squirms but doesn’t run away.

“Arthat,” you whisper, “I’m not going to hurt you. I’ll _never_ hurt you.”

Arthat swallows, with discomfort rising on his face. He doesn’t pull away from you, but he doesn’t embrace you either. He goes limp, refusing to struggle against the hug.

“Please tell me what happened.” You request.  

Arthat shifts on the bed, still not looking at you. “…Mère said that it would be simple, so je went along with it. It would be just like the times before when we did things.” The ceruleanblood kit swallows, “I remember Mère wanting moi to be a lookout when elle was doing…certain things. It could be…scary.”  

“I don’t understand.” Or you would prefer _not_ to understand.

“It est hard to say.” Arthat continues, “All je know is that je was to help Terezi get into the apartment. Then this man came in with a gun…el would have shot Terezi if je hadn’t called the police. Je had seen that man before…following Mère et Hecuba. That is why they went to Nehetaly, je think.”

 _And left our son behind,_ you think but you stroke Arthat’s back.

“It’s alright.” you whisper, “You didn’t do anything wrong. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

Arthat blinks. “Que? Why?” 

“Because it wasn’t your _fault_ is why.” you say softly “You were just doing it because your mother asked you to, right?”

Arthat looks away, not wanting to admit to anything that would incriminate his mother. It’s more loyalty than Vriska deserves.

“Je…just did what Mère asked. Est not a big deal.”

It’s a struggle not to sigh. Of course such a thing wouldn’t be a big deal to _Arthat_. He must do even shadier actions with Vriska all the time. He doesn’t even grasp why you’re making such a big deal out of it.

“Thank you for telling me.” You say, “This stays between us, okay?”

Arthat still looks unsure but nods. He has no choice but to trust you. Even when you try to ask him about what he’d like to do, he declines. Arthat still doesn’t trust you outside of being ‘the other adult’ in his life. It’s not that Arthat is frightened of you, but he’s unsure of who you are…as if you’re going to become another adult to coerce him into questionable things. As if you’re going to put him in as much peril as his mother.

You think of all the times you defended Vriska. All the times you denied she was an unfit mother and that you didn’t want to separate her from your son. Now you’re not sure if you were an idiot, optimistic, or just naïve.

You leave your son’s bedroom with your stomach is in a knot. You _need_ to talk about this with someone. You just don’t know who. You could have sought out Terezi’s consultation but she’s not worthy of your time. You don’t even know why you took her advice in the past. You feel so blind and stupid for not thinking of it.

You decide to call your matesprit. You like to have his voice in your ear, pretending he’s whispering directly in your ear even when he’s far away. Sollux never waits long to pick up when it’s you.

“Hey, what are you up to?” you ask.

//“Not much. Come over.”// Sollux says.

“What makes you think I want to come over?”

//“It’s super obvious in your voice when you want some Captor time.”//

You hate the way he calls private moments ‘Captor time’. You hate it so much that you grumble and grouse as you walk to his trailer. The door is already open with Suxxor talking to Simham and Torken and Eridan watching them through the front window.

Sollux is in his room as usual with his stupid AR glasses on. You take them off and kiss him because he’s a huge fucking nerd and you love him. You cuddle next to him and its strange being the big spoon because Sollux is still some time away from his adult molt. He strokes your hair and its peaceful…for about ten minutes until Eridan opens the door. Loud wailing and light is let into the room.

“Sol, where’s the first aid kit?” Eridan asks.

“Oh gods. What did Suxxor do now?” Sollux grunts.

“He fell and got a splinter. Nothing major.” Eridan sighs.

“Mommmeeee, it hurts--” Suxxor wails.

“That sounds major.” you say.

“He’s playing it up so he doesn’t get in trouble for climbing a tree on someone else’s property.” Eridan sighs, “I think he was trying to impress someone and failed miserably.”

Sollux rolls over with his eyes still shut. “Check the kitchen.”

“Sounds like the little drama queen is doing the Captor lineage proud.” You get out of bed and follow Eridan.

As it turns out, Suxxor is wailing over a very small splinter in his hand. You don’t doubt that it hurts, but its not the end of the world he’s making it out to be. Still, Eridan remains clam. He lectures Suxxor and grumbles in Old Alternia, but he removes the splinter and bandages the hand. Suxxor wails and whines but is pacified once its over. Eridan gives him a Starburst for tolerating the pain and puts him in front of the TV with Dmitry. Dmitry is watching an episode of Monster High and redoing his doll’s hair.  

With one problem solved, Eridan moves onto the next one: dinner. The violetblood goes to the kitchen, getting out eggs, breadcrumbs, and chicken parts for the meal. He talks to you the entire time, being the master of domestic multitasking.

“So,” Eridan says, “what’s really bothering you?”

You frown. “Are you taking mindreading lessons from your kismesis?”

Eridan smiles. “It’s more like having a Mom’s sixth sense.”

You sigh. “I was just thinking…that Arthat shouldn’t live with Vriska. I don’t know about him living with me either since it’s so crowded.” 

Eridan focuses on carefully dipping chicken parts in the egg yolks. “Maybe he shouldn’t live with you _or_ Vriska.”

You stare at your half-brother. “You mean…giving him up? But he’s already so old…”

“No, idiot!” Eridan laughs, “What about Aranea?”

With everything else going on, you had forgotten Aranea. You rarely interact with her since you usually just drop off Arthat and don’t actually see her. The ceruleanblood spends most of her time watching Eukary and working, so you were never that concerned about it. You’re not sure if Aranea can care for Arthat _and_ Eukary though.

“And who’s to say you’re going to stay here your whole life?” Eridan continues. “Maybe you should think towards getting an actual house.” He reaches over and pats you on the head. “You need to stop being so consumed with your thoughts and just _do_ stuff. Take a step back and think of other solutions.”

You playfully swat the hand again. “Hey, knock it off! _I’m_ the older brother!” you laugh.

“Yeah,” Eridan admits, “but I’m the one who has to take care of you too.”

You look at him and your heart pounds and you wonder…no. You shouldn’t jump into another relationship. Not just yet. The wounds from Terezi are still raw and you’re not ready for another pale quadrant to deal with.

“Thanks, Eridan.” you say.

When you go home that night, you send a single message.

 

\--arachnidsGrip is offline!--

 

CG: WE NEED TO TALK.

 

\--arachnidsGrip is offline!—

 

You don’t expect an answer, nor do you wait for one. Terezi and Vriska went behind you’re back, so you’re going to be proactive.

The next day, you go see Aranea. The older ceruleanblood must sense a serious conversation on the horizon, because she makes sure Eukary is out with Horuss while you talk. You sit at the kitchen table and ignore the offered coffee and cinnamon-pecan cookies on the table.

 “I know we usually don’t talk, but I need advice.” you begin. Aranea looks at you with cold analytical eyes and you’re suddenly back in high school. Aranea’s called on you and you have no idea what the answer to the question is, or what you’re even talking about. Shit. You should have rehearsed what you were going to say. “…I don’t know how to put this--”

Aranea holds up a hand. “You think Vriska is an unfit mother and you want me to weigh in on the custody situation.”

You stare at her and the ceruleanblood smiles.

“Karkat, I may be Vriska’s mother but I’m not blind to her nature.” Aranea says, “I have my own concerns about how my grandson is being raised.”

Instead of enjoying your camaraderie, you’re irritated. “Why didn’t you _say_ anything sooner?”

Aranea raises an eyebrow. “Why didn’t _you_?”

She raises a good point and you can’t immediately counter it. Before you stumble into an awkward apology, Aranea continues with the smooth tones of a practiced school lecturer.

“I have considered for a while ‘helping’ Vriska by raising Arthat, but there are many issues with my solution.” Aranea says, “Horuss and Arthat will not get along. Horuss sees Arthat as disrespectful and willful and Arthat sees Horuss as an intruder who must earn his respect. Eukary also demands a lot of attention and care and Arthat may feel neglected, which would cause a negative change in his behavior.”

“I think I underestimated how well you understand kids.” you mumble.

Aranea smiles. “I’ve picked up a few tricks over the years. No big deal.”

“I don’t know about Arthat staying with me.” Your trailer is already crowded. Arthat is currently sharing a room with Nessie, but you have no idea how that’s going to go in the future. Hopefully you’ll be moved into a bigger place by then. “East New Jack has better schools too…”

“East New Jack schools have better _funding_. That’s hardly a stamp of quality.” Aranea sniffs, “They use the same textbooks as the inner city and their teachers come from the same schools.  Unless Arthat’s going to a private school, he’ll get the same education that Eukary and the others will. If you have concerns about his education, he can get supplementary work from me.”

You feel like you should be more surprised by the news…but you’re not. Something deep down _told_ you that Vriska was spewing her regular amount of bullshit. Instead of loudly and profanely griping about Aranea’s daughter, you eat a cinnamon-pecan cookie. You don’t feel less angry but at least you’re slightly less hungry.

“I know she’s your daughter but she’s… _frustrating_.” You growl, “Arguing with her is pointless, like I’m spitting in the wind.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Aranea agrees, “It’s why I don’t demand that she tells me about her home life, but I’m smart enough to pick up on a few things.”

“Like what?”

Aranea shrugs. “Just the usual. Arthat has the classic behaviors of a latchkey kid, so I can infer he spends little time with his mother. When Vriska does give him attention, its material based. That’s why clothes from her are so important.  Vriska must have multiple people moving in and out of her life, thus why Arthat keeps his distance from adults. Arthat depends on Snippy because he’s the only constant in his life.” The ceruleanblood sighs. “Arthat needs emotional stability and he needs to learn to trust others if he’s going to survive in our world.”

You know she’s right and there’s only one option.

“He could stay with me,” you say, “but he’ll hate every minute of it.”

“Obviously,” Aranea says with a small, sad smile. “but he’ll understand in the future that you made the right choice for him. Arthat needs someone who…cares. Not that Vriska _doesn’t_ care but her affection is…self-destructive. A child shouldn’t have to experience that.”

“Has she contacted you?” you ask, “I haven’t heard anything from Vriska since she left for Nehetaly.”

Aranea stares at you for several seconds before looking away. You don’t know if she’s concocting a lie or contemplating this new information.

“The fact she hasn’t contacted you gives us time.”Aranea picks up her teacup and sips from it before giving her order, “For our next move, you’ll have to research what paperwork we need. By the time we meet again, we should have everything in order.”

You’ve gone from a familial conversation to two general colluding on how to surround and conquer a mutual enemy. You guess that even if Serkets must live mundanely, they’ll do what they can in _some_ dramatic fashion.

“Alright.” you sigh.

This is far from over. It’s only a jumping off point as far as you’re concerned when it comes to Vriska.


End file.
